Motswari Private Game Reserve

We came to Motswari on the last 3 days of our Honeymoon trip to South Africa and can truly say it was the best experience we have ever had. The team at Motswari are so kind and helpful, the food was great and varied. Big shout out to Jan who...

We came to Motswari on the last 3 days of our Honeymoon trip to South Africa and can truly say it was the best experience we have ever had. The team at Motswari are so kind and helpful, the food was great and varied. Big shout out to Jan who was extra friendly and fun! Our guide and tracker Josh and Difference were brilliant, they were super knowledgeable had a great banter between them. They went out of their way to find the Leopard on our last drive so we got to see the big 5 (plus many more!!). We did the Giraffes Nest on one night which was an incredible experience being woken by an elephant just below us at 3am! A few basics were missing - no serving spoons for the dinner, no bug spray and we weren’t told there was no power whatsoever so didn’t bring a power pack to charge phones/ cameras etc - as you go straight from the evening drive there and picked up in the morning straight onto another drive, could mean no power for pics/vids! This was also organised for us on a night where there was entertainment in the camp so we missed out- perhaps some consideration to be made on this for couples who only have a short trip as the following night was just a normal dinner so we did feel slightly short changed! Overall Motswari really did top off our trip and we will have memories to cherish forever!

Absolutely incredible place. The staff were so helpful and accommodating. The food was delicious and varied. My wife is dairy intolerant and they made a huge effort in preparing her suitable food and alternative milk for coffee & cereals. The game drives were excellent. The Ranger and tracker, Joshua and...

Absolutely incredible place. The staff were so helpful and accommodating. The food was delicious and varied. My wife is dairy intolerant and they made a huge effort in preparing her suitable food and alternative milk for coffee & cereals. The game drives were excellent. The Ranger and tracker, Joshua and Difference, were awesome. So knowledgeable and explained things so well. Importantly, they were open to questions on the animals and also the local environment. We managed to see the Big 5 x2, plus loads of other animals in the park. They managed to get us so close, but were very thoughtful on the animals welfare. Accommodation was good, though the rooms were a little dark. Don't know if this was for less consumption of electricity? The mixture of meal venues around the main lodge was nice as to was the evening meal out in the bush. Brilliant 4 nights, well looked after and great drives out in the bush.

Our first safari was an amazing experience, thanks to our guide Lola and our tracker Mr T. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff who were so warm and friendly. Everyone of the Team went above and beyond. Lodges were excellent and the food was amazing. The...

Our first safari was an amazing experience, thanks to our guide Lola and our tracker Mr T. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff who were so warm and friendly. Everyone of the Team went above and beyond. Lodges were excellent and the food was amazing. The chef came to us each meal and explained what she had prepared for my wife, who has a serious allergy. The safaris were excellent and the knowledge of Lola and Mr T, were extremely valuable and informative. Saw the Big 5 and lots of other animals and birds.

We stayed here in January , accommodation is extremely comfortable and spacious with view over the river. Game drives twice a day -we couldn’t have had a better guide and tracker ( Hayden and Patrick) friendly informative and adventurous , couldn't want better. We will return .

Motswari!! We definitely arrived as guests and left as friends. The staff were beyond excellent, they were so kind, so caring and so professional I’m not sure where to start. The facilities are fabulous and just what you want, based in a camp the buildings are spaced so you don’t...

Motswari!! We definitely arrived as guests and left as friends. The staff were beyond excellent, they were so kind, so caring and so professional I’m not sure where to start. The facilities are fabulous and just what you want, based in a camp the buildings are spaced so you don’t feel overlooked, the beds are so comfortable, the air conditioning and fans work, the bathrooms have great showers, the housekeeping team come in twice a day to service and clean, the mosquito nets are substantial, it is a low risk area so we weren’t affected at all. Opposite our building was a small river so we watched the animals come down each evening. The bar, restaurant and relaxation areas are staffed by the most outstanding team all of them with great characters and all of them who knew your names within minutes. The food! WOW! Brought in by the chefs and kitchen brigade singing and dancing. We were amazed at the quality and variety of meals, snacks and drinks. We loved the food, especially our meals in the Boma room. It is unfair but I do want to mention Prince and Timothy who were great. The staff in reception were so helpful and friendly - even arranging for us (without asking) to delay the arrival of our car so that we didn’t wait too long at the airport. And then the Guide and Tracker. What can we say - Josh and Lot! You made our holiday so special by your knowledge, your kindness, your friendship and your humour. Lot (tracker) must have the best pair of eyes in Africa. He spotted everything, from tiny dung beetles, to huge rhinos. We saw everything and had our eyes opened to the wonders of Africa. We would have stayed for another month. We loved Motswari and need more people to go so that they can learn about this wonderful environment and spread the word so that it is preserved for our grandchildren.. Thank you Motsari - we will be back.

Our safari adventure was truly brought to life by Rudolph, our outstanding guide, and MJ, our incredibly skilled tracker. Rudolph’s deep knowledge of the wildlife and his ability to share fascinating facts with enthusiasm and clarity made every game drive a memorable experience. He was patient, engaging, and always ready...

Our safari adventure was truly brought to life by Rudolph, our outstanding guide, and MJ, our incredibly skilled tracker. Rudolph’s deep knowledge of the wildlife and his ability to share fascinating facts with enthusiasm and clarity made every game drive a memorable experience. He was patient, engaging, and always ready to answer our endless questions, making us feel like we were part of the journey!

This was the best safari experience of all we had while in Africa for a month during December to January when we visited South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Our guide Hayden was amazing, taking us off-road into the bush to catch some incredible animal sightings. He and the 2...

This was the best safari experience of all we had while in Africa for a month during December to January when we visited South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Our guide Hayden was amazing, taking us off-road into the bush to catch some incredible animal sightings. He and the 2 trackers, Patrick and David, had a skill that others we experienced did not at finding the Big Five up close and often during our 3 days at Motswari. The twice a day schedule was a bit crazy especially the 5:00 am game drives, but missing a bit of sleep was worth it over and over as we had incredible success catching so many animals at this preserve. The accommodations and the meals were also first class considered being out in the wild, and the entire staff was attentive and friendly, particularly in the restaurant and bar. If there is one safari experience not to miss in Africa, Motswari is it!

This was everything we were hoping for. Firstly we received a very warm welcome on arrival for our 4 day trip and within 20 minutes we were off on our first safari! The accommodation was really good with everything we needed. The food and drink was excellent and our location...

This was everything we were hoping for. Firstly we received a very warm welcome on arrival for our 4 day trip and within 20 minutes we were off on our first safari! The accommodation was really good with everything we needed. The food and drink was excellent and our location was fantastic and great for the safari drives we had each morning and afternoon. All of the staff were really friendly and went out of their way to make our experience memorable. Our guide and tracker, Josh and Patrick were exceptional and we had them for all our drives. We saw many different animals including the big 5 which was a treat. We saw lions on numerous occasions and herds of elephants and water buffalos. Also giraffes, rhinos, hippos, crocs, wild dogs, hyenas and a leopard on two occasions. All in all it was a fantastic experience that we will never forget. Thank you to all of the Motswari staff for making this experience really special.

I can’t imagine anyone leaving a poor review for Motswari. My husband and I visited for five nights as part of a honeymoon trip. We were absolutely blown away by the accommodations staff and grounds. The camp is situated in the middle of the bush with individual villas for each...

I can’t imagine anyone leaving a poor review for Motswari. My husband and I visited for five nights as part of a honeymoon trip. We were absolutely blown away by the accommodations staff and grounds. The camp is situated in the middle of the bush with individual villas for each set of guests for a total of 32 maximum. There was only Wi-Fi in the common area, but this made the experience that much better allowing us to fully focus on the animals and Safari, which is why we were there. Once it gets dark, they do have to escort you to and from your room, but this is purely for safety reasons which we completely understood. Our Guide Eden and tracker Magic made our game drives very educational and we were beyond blown away at all the animals we saw and how close we could get to them. The camp staff was very hospitable and friendly and provided us with anything we needed. The food was also fantastic! In between the morning and afternoon drives, they have a masseuse on site for massages and a beautiful pool overlooking the surrounding area that you can relax in with drinks. It was much more relaxing than we had thought about it being which was a plus for us. We also spent a night in the giraffes nest, which was a once in a lifetime experience; with a tree house like structure out in the middle of the bush by yourself. We saw a hyena and heard lions roaring all through the night. Overall, my husband and I thought this was the absolute perfect first Safari for us and we would highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience it. Thank you Motswari team!

This was our honeymoon dream and it certainly was everything we wanted and more (despite having a lot of rain!) The rooms were gorgeous and the food was delicious throughout our stay. Owain and George were our guide and tracker and were fab and did everything they could to find...

This was our honeymoon dream and it certainly was everything we wanted and more (despite having a lot of rain!) The rooms were gorgeous and the food was delicious throughout our stay. Owain and George were our guide and tracker and were fab and did everything they could to find us a leopard...which they did!! We loved the different settings for dinner at night, we just wish it had stopped raining so we could have enjoyed the outside more! We felt so safe and created memories forever. Thank you Motswari team!

We stayed at Motswari for 4 nights and it was the most incredible experience of our lives. Going to start of with the facilities themselves, Our room was perfect, exactly as described with a bath and shower, a patio overlooking the riverbed, it was absolutely spotless and I was worried...

We stayed at Motswari for 4 nights and it was the most incredible experience of our lives. Going to start of with the facilities themselves, Our room was perfect, exactly as described with a bath and shower, a patio overlooking the riverbed, it was absolutely spotless and I was worried about bugs being in the bush but there was none that got into our room. The common area was nice and relaxed and same with the pool with animals coming in and out it was incredible. The onsite shop was full of cute souvenirs and clothes and local art. The chefs and kitchen staff did an impeccable job for every single meal! There was so many options and possibilities of trying new things. The rusks served every morning before drives were so good I had to pick some up before we left SA The main call out of the people of motswari, the staff working in all areas from bar to restaurant, to facilities and reception, you feel like you are joining a family and they also treat their guests as family. Special call out to Prince and Jan who make the atmosphere so fun! Tamara at the reception is so lovely and caring. We were due to stay in the giraffes nest but storms made this impossible and absolutely everyone who knew we were due to stay here made an effort to ensure we made it back safely- big shout of to Gideon who drove us back! Lastly and the most important is a big big big thank you to our tracker Difference and our guide Joshua. They made our experience unforgettable. We got to see the magic of the big 5 in 24hr, and as the guys said the magnificent 7 as we were lucky to see cheetahs and wild dogs. This was amazing but the experience itself from Joshua and Difference, the knowledge they shared was incredible and we learned so much but also had so much fun and laughter and we will never forget this so a big big thank you to both of them, we will miss our sunset drinks and chats l! Hopefully we get to return one day but for anyone reading this do not hesitate and book it!

First visit to Motswari. Lodge and room was excellent. Breakfast buffet was very good as were all the meals.Lunch was accompanied by the local singers(staff) !! Evening meal was in the boma. Game drives were great with lots of lion sightings and a male leopard. We had lion tracks by...

First visit to Motswari. Lodge and room was excellent. Breakfast buffet was very good as were all the meals.Lunch was accompanied by the local singers(staff) !! Evening meal was in the boma. Game drives were great with lots of lion sightings and a male leopard. We had lion tracks by reception one morning.We saw the big 5 over our 2 days but much more due to our excellent guiding team of Owen and George who gave us lots of information about the area and animals which makes all the difference. All the staff get 5 stars from us. We can recommend the book "the women of motswari " which is available to buy in reception. About an hours drive to the lodge from Timbavati gate but also animal sightings to keep your drive interesting.

This spot was perfect for us. It would rate as about a 4.8 on the 5 star scale, and would rate higher only if the accommodation was a built more recently. As it was, the individual lodges are well outfitted with everything you could want, and provided us with a...

This spot was perfect for us. It would rate as about a 4.8 on the 5 star scale, and would rate higher only if the accommodation was a built more recently. As it was, the individual lodges are well outfitted with everything you could want, and provided us with a very comfortable experience. Our Guide Hayden and our Tracker Patrick droid a great job…..we even were able to see not only the Big 5, but also the Cheetah and a Wild Dog Pack, thanks to the quick and expert driving of Hayden. The food was served buffet style and there was plenty of delicious food for every meal. Our Protein dinner dishes included Kudu , Duck Confit, Beef, and Warthog. All Excellent.

You might think it odd that we focus on the people at Motswari and not the wildlife, but it was the staff who made our recent trip so memorable. All the lodges in Timbavati will show you the Big 5 and many more creatures besides. But the people of Motswari...

You might think it odd that we focus on the people at Motswari and not the wildlife, but it was the staff who made our recent trip so memorable. All the lodges in Timbavati will show you the Big 5 and many more creatures besides. But the people of Motswari show a degree of warmth, helpfulness and efficiency that makes it very special. Meals on the verandah or in the breakfast room or in the magical Boma were excellent. The service was always attentive and friendly. Our wildlife guide, Joshua, and trackers Difference and David were great in showing us lions, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino…but our encounters with a pack of wild dogs were wonderful. Can’t wait to return!

I had read all of the reviews and had very high expectations. This was planned to be at the end of our Sth African adventure and for it to end on a high. I was not disappointed. We arrived mid-afternoon and they invited us to go on our first game...

I had read all of the reviews and had very high expectations. This was planned to be at the end of our Sth African adventure and for it to end on a high. I was not disappointed. We arrived mid-afternoon and they invited us to go on our first game drive. We were staying 3 nights so i was only expecting 2 on each of the full days, not when we arrived. They even offered a 6th game drive on the morning that we were leaving. We decline this last one as we wanted a sleep in before a journey home. Within a couple of hours into our first drive and we had ticked off 4 of the Big 5. The next morning, we completed the Big 5 plus seeing a Honey Badger in daylight. We had a great team on the jeep, and we all got on very well. The Driver, Josh and Tracker, David, were the A-team. We called our team the Honey Badgers. Josh threw us a challenge as we had ticked off our list of animals to see and we seemed to have a positive energy and a lot of luck. Josh said he wanted to track down a White Lion. At first i thought this was a myth. We headed out the next morning to an area where hardly anyone goes. We found the white lion and his brother. We stopped for 20 minutes or so just watching them watch us. I never thought that we would see such a thing. The staff at Motswari are amazing and nothing is too much trouble. Food is incredible and i never thought that i would like to eat Warthog but it is amazing. Take advantage of the midday walks with your guide, they are very informative and something different or you could simply sit in the meeting area with a cold beer watching elephants around the waterhole or warthogs coming in eating the grass with impala or springboks Motswari is not cheap when compared to other lodges, but you do get what you pay for. It is a long way to Sth Africa so you may as well make the most of it and do it right.

We've just returned from our Safari to South Africa and the Motswari Private Game Reserve.  I've always thought I had a great imagination, but even at its best, my imagination paled in comparison to the reality that we experienced!  I could never have imagined that we could have seen so...

We've just returned from our Safari to South Africa and the Motswari Private Game Reserve.  I've always thought I had a great imagination, but even at its best, my imagination paled in comparison to the reality that we experienced!  I could never have imagined that we could have seen so many different animals!  My husband and I have half-joked that we didn't just see the Big 5, but that we saw the Big 25!  I could also have never imagined how close we were able to get to the animals!  I'm not even kidding when I say that a lion came to within 4 feet of our vehicle!  The lion couldn't have cared less that we were there, but each occupant of our vehicle got the thrill of a lifetime!  Toward the end of our stay, we were able to see a magnificent leopard with his dinner (an impala) up in a tree!  What a thrill! The Motswari staff were beyond wonderful.  With Josh as our guide and David as our spotter, we were able to go to so many different beautiful places and see so many different species that it was like something from a dream!  Josh was able to answer all of our (relentless) questions with so much knowledge about the flora and fauna of the Timbavati. The two of them were wonderful to spend our time with, and I would love to adopt them both! I'm not sure of his title, but Timothy seemed to be running the show at Motswari and doing so to perfection!  We've called him the Mr. Carson of Motswari. Everyone, everywhere was friendly, helpful, efficient, and seemed to exude the joy of being a part of the beauty of their surroundings.  The food was excellent, the grounds were pristine, the beds were comfortable, the bungalows were nothing short of luxurious, and the wildlife that wandered in and out of the grounds was awe-inspiring!  We met John, Ofentse, Elizabeth, Dimpho, and I so wish I remembered the chef's name, and many more.  All were so kind and sweet that I feel like we now have a family in South Africa. As for the process itself, when I called and spoke to Emma at Yellow Zebra about a year and a half ago, one of her first questions to me was "why do you want to see Africa?".  When I responded that we were going to see the animals, she asked, "which animals?".  Mine were the giraffe, the zebra, the elephant, and the lion (I didn't dare hope we would be lucky enough to see the ever-elusive leopard).  My husband wanted to see the lion and the wildebeest.  She responded immediately that we wanted to go to Kruger National Park.  With more questioning, including our budget requirements, she determined that the Timbavati region was where we wanted to be.   I believe she had recommended Motswari, Walker's Bush Camp, and Geiger's Camp.  Because of unforeseen circumstances, we had to postpone for about a year and that's when Catherine was able to step in.  She was able to help us finally narrow our choice down to Motswari and handled the booking, the in-country flights, the ground transportation, and every other detail related to our visit.  Combined with all of the information sent to us in preparation for our trip, not a single detail was left to chance.  Communication could not have been better.  Kudos to Emma and Catherine for making everything work so seamlessly. A huge bonus is that we met some new friends along the way.  Andy and Heather R. from Scotland, and Maxine and John T. from England were in our vehicle from day one.  Both couples were about our age and both were a ton of fun.  We ended up having each of our meals together, as well as our game drives.  We probably drove Josh and David nuts, but we had a splendid time and talked and laughed way too much!  We have already become Facebook friends and hope to meet up again sometime in the future.  Now we're back home in Utah, USA with memories for a lifetime.  I have very seriously teared up half a dozen times, or so in the last 3 days, just missing the beauty and brilliance that was South Africa.  I can 100% guarantee that this will not be our last trip with Yellow Zebra and Motswari Private Game Reserve and their incredible talent for what they do.   Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Where to start? This our second visit to the Motswari lodge and I didn't think it would be possible for us to enjoy it even more the second time around - but we did! There is not a single thing you could fault about the experience. The food is absolutely...

Where to start? This our second visit to the Motswari lodge and I didn't think it would be possible for us to enjoy it even more the second time around - but we did! There is not a single thing you could fault about the experience. The food is absolutely sublime; local, fresh and most importantly, delicious! All meals and drinks were served by Motswari's excellent team - all of whom were friendly, welcoming and hospitable. Tim, Prince and their wonderful colleagues ensure you could not want for anything - and we didn't! It seems cliched to describe the staff as one big family, but that's exactly how it came across. Most of the staff have been there for very many years and it is genuinely wonderful to see the way they interact with one another. I can say for certain that this makes the trip even more enjoyable for guests! On our previous visit, we had Josh and David as our tracker team. On both occasions, they delivered the fabled 'big 5' and just about everything else, and we could not have asked for a more knowledgeable pair. Josh's and David's working dynamic was a joy to witness and they really are a credit to Motswari. I have no doubt that all the guides are brilliant at their jobs but my wife and I were delighted when our request to have Josh and David once agin was accommodated! Between them, Josh and David do not miss a single animal and they are both more than happy to answer the endless list of obscure and probably bizarre questions I fired at them! In addition to the game drives, we also went on a bush walk led by Hayden. As with Josh and David, Hayden's passion for wildlife and delivering a fun experience really shone through, and we spent the bulk of our journey tracking a leopard - which was very exciting! Unfortunately, the wily cat ultimately managed to evade us but we learnt a lot thanks to Hayden's attention to detail, seeing the bush from a completely different perspective. We were very fortunate to spend another night in the Giraffe's Nest - a truly unique offering that enables guests to sleep under the stars, in complete wilderness, with only the wildlife and much food and drink for company! During our stay we saw a rhino, buffalos, hyenas, and some other unidentifiable animals visit, and we could not recommend this experience enough. Sincere thanks to every single member of the team at Motswari, all of who contribute to making the lodge so special. The mantra at Motswari is 'arrive as a visitor, leave as a friend' - and you certainly get a sense of that! I don't imagine it will be too long before we come back for a third time...

Amazing! We loved our time at Motswari - it was perfect in every way. The staff were so kind and accommodating, the food was excellent (I’m a vegetarian and always had plenty of options), the rooms were beautiful, and the safari drives were fantastic. We had Owen and Hendry as...

Amazing! We loved our time at Motswari - it was perfect in every way. The staff were so kind and accommodating, the food was excellent (I’m a vegetarian and always had plenty of options), the rooms were beautiful, and the safari drives were fantastic. We had Owen and Hendry as our guide and tracker - we could not recommend them more! We saw all the Big 5. We loved that this lodge had all the modern amenities while still maintaining an African safari feel.